Raising awareness of UX dark patterns, with the help of practitioners and users.
Our research at the UXP2 Lab builds upon UX practitioner Harry Brignull’s work on dark patterns. Brignull defines “dark patterns” as instances where designers use their knowledge of human behavior (e.g., psychology) and the desires of end users to implement deceptive functionality that is not in the user’s best interest. Working with both practitioners and end-users, we are investigating how an increased awareness of dark patterns in UX might lead to a more ethically- and socially-responsible UX practice. Browse through our corpus of examples of practitioner-identified dark patterns, or find out how you can get involved in our research.
Making a process more difficult than it needs to be, with the intent of dissuading certain action(s).
Brignull’s "Roach Motel", Brignull’s "Price Comparison Prevention", Intermediate Currency
Attempting to hide, disguise, or delay the divulging of information that is relevant to the user.
Brignull’s "Forced Continuity", Brignull’s "Hidden Costs, Brignull’s "Sneak into Basket", Brignull’s "Bait and Switch"
Manipulation of the user interface that privileges certain actions over others.
Toying With Emotion, False Hierarchy, Brignull’s "Sneak into Basket", Brignull’s "Trick Questions"
Requiring the user to perform a certain action to access (or continue to access) certain functionality.
Social Pyramid, Brignull’s "Privacy Zuckering", Gamification